A federal court in Louisiana has ruled that the state's congressional map is an unconstitutional racial gerrymander and has given state lawmakers until the beginning of June to redraw the map themselves. The court has set a deadline of June 3, 2024, for the Louisiana Legislature to enact a new map. If lawmakers fail to do so, the court will order the use of an interim remedial Congressional districting map on June 4, 2024.
The court, a three-judge panel, is also considering proposals for a new congressional plan to be reviewed in case they need to draw the new map themselves. The dispute over the congressional map, which currently includes only one majority-Black district in a state where about one-third of the population is African American, could impact the control of the US House next year.
Last year, a federal court ruled that the map drawn by the Louisiana legislature after the 2020 census likely violated the Voting Rights Act. This year, the legislature adopted a new map to create a second majority-Black district out of six total, but it was recently struck down by the three-judge panel following challenges from voters, including prominent White Republicans.
Louisiana Secretary of State Nancy Landry has emphasized the need for a new map by May 15 to administer this year's elections. However, the court has indicated that as long as a map is in place by the end of May, the state could still be prepared for the November election. It is anticipated that some of the litigants involved in the case will seek intervention from the Supreme Court to allow the plan adopted by lawmakers earlier this year to be used for this year's elections.
